Again the dead past revealed another scene. I saw myself in the person of an ill-fed, ill-treated slave, ever hungry, wretched, too much so to feel resentment. I died hungry, and then had a devachan of seeming realization of my wants. 'Then again rebirth, and through a karma not here to be explained, the new man had ease, wealth, plenty. But a physical karma pursued, and he was ever hungry in the midst of plentitude, and lazy when action was necessary. This state begot disease, and the product of (in his previous life) "man's inhumanity to man," was afflicted with cancer of the stomach. This killed the ferocious appetite, and the sybarite, free of this, set to work to cure himself. Finding he must fail, he sought comfort in religion, and went forth to the wilderness to become a religious hermit. Now, a hermit's life is one of uselessness to mankind. In that lone state my individuality lost opportunities to cultivate moral strength by worldly contact, and behold me after death come again to life as Zailm, weak enough to sin with Lolix and beget then a karma that lasted, with newly got vigor, till only a few years ago, punishing me more bitterly than death, as thou, knowest. If Zailm, had sorrow, thou knowest he had also joy. So every life-karma is made up of sunshine and shadow. "A tooth for a tooth?" Yea! But also "for a kiss a kiss."
Once more, the past unveiled another scene. I saw myself as a starving, mistreated slave, too miserable to feel anger. I died hungry, then experienced a blissful afterlife where my needs seemed fulfilled. Reborn again, through unexplained karma, I found myself wealthy and comfortable. Yet a physical karma persisted: I was always hungry despite abundance, and lazy when action was needed. This led to illness, and as a product of my previous life's suffering, I developed stomach cancer. The disease curbed my ravenous appetite, and freed from this, I tried to heal myself. Realizing I would fail, I turned to religion and became a hermit in the wilderness. However, a hermit's life contributes nothing to humanity. In that isolation, I missed chances to build moral strength through worldly interactions. Thus, I was reborn as Zailm, weak enough to sin with Lolix, creating karma that lasted until recently, punishing me more severely than death, as you know. If Zailm experienced sorrow, you know he also found joy. So every life's karma is a mix of light and shadow. "A tooth for a tooth?" Yes! But also "for a kiss, a kiss."